Physiology and growth of maize under salinity of water and application of hydrogen peroxide

Abstract

The salinity of irrigation water or soil is the abiotic factor that most negatively impacts the yield of crops, including green maize, so it is necessary to find alternatives to ensure production. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate gas exchange, photosynthetic pigments, and growth of maize under salinity of irrigation water and application of hydrogen peroxide. The experiment was conducted at the Center of Sciences and Agrifood Technology, Pombal, PB, belonging to the Federal University of Campina Grande, in the period from January to February 2015, using the maize hybrid ‘AG 1051’. The treatments consisted of two salinity levels of irrigation water (0.3 and 2.0 dS m-1) and five concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (0, 40, 80, 160, and 320 µmol L-1) applied via irrigation water. The experimental design was completely randomized, in a 2 × 5 factorial scheme, with four replicates. ECw of 2.0 dS m-1 reduces transpiration, stomatal conductance, total chlorophyll, carotenoids, and initial growth, but does not affect the dry mass accumulation of maize plants. Application of H2O2 via soil varying from 0 to 320 µmol L-1 causes reductions in the CO2 assimilation rate and transpiration, as well as at concentrations from 0 to 160 µmol L-1 for stomatal conductance of plants irrigated with ECw of 2.0 dS m-1. Application of H2O2 via soil up to a concentration of 320 µmol L-1 increases the plant height, but reduces culm diameter of maize.

Use of hydrogen peroxide for acclimation of sorghum plants to salt stress

“…Plants irrigated with the highest ECw (5.5 dS m -1 ) presented a decrease of 23.86% (0.50 m) in PH compared to those in the control (ECw of 0.30 dS m -1 ). Lacerda et al (2022) evaluated maize crops and found decreases of 9.43% in PH for an ECw of 2.0 dS m -1 compared to the initial ECw of 0.30 dS m -1 . These different results may be due to the highest ECw (2.0 dS m -1 ) used by them, which was lower than that evaluated in the present study (5.50 dS m -1 ).…”

“…These results denoted that the increases in the H 2 O 2 concentration contributed to plant growth, regardless of the ECw applied. Similarly, Lacerda et al (2022) AMIRA, 2018;VELOSO et al, 2023).…”

“…Similar results were reported by Souza et al (2014), who evaluated maize crops irrigated with ECw ranging from 0.50 to 4.50 dS m -1 and found decreases of 15.70% in SD of plants in the treatment with the highest ECw. Several studies have evaluated irrigation with brackish water in different crops and reported deleterious effects on plant growth and development (BLANCO et al, 2008;SAFDAR et al, 2019;LACERDA et al, 2022;PEREIRA et al, 2023). Excess salts in the soil solution triggers several physiological and biochemical processes in plants that can cause toxicity and water stress, directly and indirectly affecting plant growth, development, and production (SHANKAR; EVELIN, 2019).…”

“…The use of brackish water is an alternative for growing crops in semiarid regions; however, it requires some management measures, such as the use of plants that are more tolerant to salt stress (GOIS et al, 2019;GUIMARÃES et al, 2022;LACERDA et al, 2022) and application of elicitors, such as hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), for plant acclimation to salt stress (ANDRADE et al, 2022;PEREIRA et al, 2023).…”

A adubação nitrogenada atenua os efeitos da salinidade no milho? uma revisão de literatura

“…Em duas cultivares de milho sob irrigação com água salina, Moussa e Galad (2015) obtiveram resultados decrescentes, quanto aos pigmentos fotossintéticos (clorofila a e clorofila b). Lacerda et al (2022) observaram que a condutividade elétrica da água de irrigação (CEa) de 2,0 dS m -1 reduziu a transpiração, condutância estomática, clorofila total, carotenóides das plantas de milho. O estresse salino diminuiu significativamente os teores de clorofila a e a/b foliar, enquanto a clorofila b e a clorofila total aumentaram ligeiramente (AKRAM et al, 2014).…”